Bail-ear fastening for cans



H. K. SMITH. BAIL EAR FASTENING FOR CANS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. I919. I,353,Q8@

Patented Sept. 14 1920.

UHWI IITIII IIIIT .ATTORNEY HARRY K. SMITH, OF HAMILTON, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BAIL-EAR FASTENING FOR CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. ii; ieao.

Application filed March 7, 1919. Serial No. 281,210.

The object is to provide an ear for ready.

connection with the bail of a can, pail or bucket of the sheet metal type and which is adapted to be secured'to the said can or pail, during the process of manufacture thereof, without the use of solder or rivets.

A further object ,is to provide a bail ear stamped out of sheet metal which is incorporated in the structure of the can by the single operation now required tosecure the head to the can body. I

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed descrip-.

tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of. the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several'figures Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a can or pail, partly broken away and having the invention applied thereto. 7

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of-a portion of a caller pail and showing one of the ears applied thereto and its connection with the bail.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the component parts of a can showing the improved ear in position prior to the crimping operation which secures the same in place.

Fig. 4 is a Similar view, after the crimpingil operation and showing the bail in place; an

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the improved ears. I

Since the exact structure of the can, pail or bucket proper forms no part of the pres-' ent invention, the improved bail ears being equally applicable to any can or pail" of the socalled sanitarytype, wherein ahead is secured to the body of the can by crimping process, no attempt has been made to illustrate the construction of the body, of the can.

There is illustrated the upper portion 1 of a can or pail body having its'upper edge initially turned outwardly to form a peripheral flange 2, extending entirely around the body and adaptedto be bent into interlocking engagement with the can or pail head during the crimping operation required to secure the latter upon the body. ,7 i

The can or pail head 3 is provided with a raised annular peripheral gripping portion 5 which, when .locked into engagement with the body 1, surrounds a sunken or ide pressed head having a central filling or emptying opening 6.

The gripping portion of the headfis initially provided, aroundits margin, with a downwardly and inwardly curved, depending flange 8,; open toward the center of thehead, and of a diameter to freely pass over the marglnal edge of the outwardly directed peripheral fiange Q of the body 1 v prior to the operation o-f' l ocking the two members together.

The body and the ea-a1haenaaa described, are of the. ordinary construction,

and it will be readily seen how theymay be; secured together by the, well-known crimping operation practised in this art.

Bail ears are usually secured to the bodies of cans or other receptacles by soldering or riveting the same together, but. these I I v methods add materially to the cost of production. The improved bail ears are designed to be secured to the-body of the can or pail and to be held thereto by means co-acting' with the said flanges 2 and 8 and to be locked therewith during the aforesaid process of fastening the head 1 to the body.

To this end, the ears are stamped from sheet tin or other metal and comprise a plate 9, preferably rounded at its bottom portion, as at 10, and bent transversely to assume a curvature corresponding with the periphery of the body 1. The plate 9 is provided at. its upper edge with an outstanding fiange 11 of less width than the aforesaid flange 2 of the body 1, and has its central portion pressed outwardly, in the same direction as the flange 11, to form a boss 12 having its upper wall 13 merging, at an inclination, into the body portion of the plate 9, thus providing an angularly disposed bottom portion or Wall 1 1 extending around the major portion of the boss and serving to strengthen or brace the same. Centrally of theboss there is provided an aperture 15 for the purpose of receiving the hooked end 16 of the bail 17, after the improved ear has been secured to the can body in a manner now explained.

A pair of the ears are placed at diametrically opposite points of the can body 1 with their flanges 11 located directly beneath and bearing against the flange 2 of the body 1, and the plate 9 lying flat against the body. The head 3 is then placed upon the upper end of the said body, when the curved flange 8 will pass freely around the flanges 2 and 11 respectively, as shown in Fig. 3. By a crimping operation in the proper machine, the several flanges are rolled or crimped into interlocking relation,

forming an annular outstanding bead as lllustrated in Fig. 4: of the drawing, sothat the improved ear remains in locked posltion. The hooked end 16 of the bail 17 may "be introduced into the aperture 15 and will remain therein, permitting the necessary swinging act on of the bail and preventing any separation of the same from its engage- .ment with the ear.

From the'foregoingit will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured, and-easily applied bail car has been provided, which by reason of its shape, will resist any buckling action due to the weight of the contents of the can body.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the.

initially formed annular flange outstanding 'from its upper edge at substantially right angles to the sides thereof, and a head having a flange fitting over and partly inclosing theoutstanding flange, of a bail ear comprising a base plate and a hollow boss pro jecting from the plate, said boss being provided with means to engage with an end of the bail, said ear also having an outwardly extending flange formed on the upper end of its base plate, said ear flange fitting against the under side of the aforesaid outstanding flange of the container, the three flanges being interlocked withheach other when the flanges are rolled into a bead with the flange of the cover innermost.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a container having an initially formed annular flange outstanding from its upper edge at substantially right angles to the sides thereof, and a head hav ing a flange fitting over and partly inclosmg the outstandmg flange, ofv a ball ear.

comprising a base plate and a'hollow boss projecting from the plate, said boss being provided with means to engage with an end of the bail, said ear also having an outwardly extending flange formed on the upper end of its base plate, said flange fitting against the under side of the aforesaid out-. I

standing flange of the container, the three flanges being interlocked with each other.

when the flanges are rolled into a bead with the free edge of the cover flange received between said base plate and the flange of the ear, the flange of the container being interposed between the cover flange and the ear flange.

3. In a bail ear fastening for metallic con tainers, the combination with a container having an initially formed outstanding flange at the upper edge thereof and hav- 'ing a head or cover provided with an ini tially formed downwardly and inwardly curved flange, the flange of the head being wider than the flange of the container and partly inclosing the same, of a bail ear having .an initially formed outturned flange on its upper side adapted to be placedagainst HARRY K. sMrrH. 

